Welcome Back to the Hellmouth
by Alexannah
Summary: Ch 6 UP! A war-worn and grieving Buffy is sent back into her sixteen-year-old body. She knows what's to come over the next seven years, but can she prevent the tragedies of last time? SpikeBuffy GilesJoyce plus most canon ships
1. Prologue: The First Goodbye

**Summary:** A war-worn and grieving Buffy is sent back into her sixteen-year-old body. She knows what's to come over the next seven years, but can she prevent the tragedies of last time?

**Rating:** T

**Warnings:** Most stuff that appears in the show, nothing really extra. (The rape attempt is not included in this fic.)

**Ships:** Spike/Buffy, Giles/Joyce, plus most canon ships as the timeline progresses

**Canon:** Series 1-7, very little AtS. The characters appear – that's about it.

**Author's notes:** This is the last new Buffy fic I'm starting for a while, so make the most of it. WBttH will be a very long fic, as it spans all seven series. Plus an epilogue, of course :)  
Thanks to Dawn for beta-reading. First chapter coming very soon!

**Welcome Back to the Hellmouth**

by Alexannah

_Can we bring yesterday back around  
'Cause I know how I feel about you now  
I was dumb, I was wrong, I let you down  
But I know how I feel about you now  
Not a day passed me by, not a day passed me by  
When I don't think about you  
And there's no moving on, 'cause I know you're the one  
And I can't be without you  
__**- Sugababes**_

**Prologue: The First Goodbye**

_Cleveland, 2003_

Gentle rain trickled down the back of Buffy's neck, and she drew her coat tightly around her. It was nearly midnight. The moon was full, casting sinister shadows around the cemetery. Buffy stopped at a large tombstone in the centre, sat cross-legged in the middle and emptied her bag.

She lit a circle of white candles around her with difficulty as the rain kept extinguishing them, and used the one in front of her to light a sage stick. Willow had offered to help her with the ritual, but this was something she had to do herself.

"Spike," she spoke to the empty night, "I … It's me. Buffy." She swallowed. "I hope you can hear me. I'm not really sure where – where you are. All things considered." Buffy hiccoughed. "Sorry – I want to say so much, I just d-don't know how to do it." She took a deep breath. "I guess … I'm sorry. For everything. I don't think I ever really took the chance to say it – I've been a complete bitch to you, and when I look back I'm so ashamed of it. I can't believe you could still love me after everything I said to you." She smiled slightly, although her cheeks were no longer only wet from the rain. "Wherever you are now, I really hope you can forgive me."

Buffy paused. "When we parted, I told you I loved you, and you didn't believe me. I should have seen that coming. Know, wherever you are now, that I meant every word. I fought my feelings for so long … I wish I hadn't. If I could rewrite it all …" She wiped her eyes on her sleeve. "But I can't.

"There's so much more I want to say. I miss you so much. More than I ever could have predicted." Buffy looked up towards the sky and closed her eyes, just letting the rain run down her face and mingle with the tears. "I love you. I always will. You were the one, Spike. After all you've been through, I hope now your soul finds peace."

The tears were now flowing thick and fast, but Buffy ignored them and pulled out a memorial bundle Willow had helped her make; various leaves and lavender flowers, tied up in a cloth Spike's favourite colour – black. She used his cigarette lighter – the only part of him she had left – to set light to it.

For a moment she just watched it burn. A sudden gush of wind extinguished the candles, and Buffy looked up, frowning, as the area around her suddenly glowed with light. Before she had a chance to react, she felt a strange sensation, like being sucked down a plughole, and the world around her disappeared.

**TBC …**


	2. Wish Granted

_**Last chapter:**__ A sudden gush of wind extinguished the candles, and … the area around her suddenly glowed with light … she felt a strange sensation, like being sucked down a plughole, and the world around her disappeared._

**Chapter One: Wish Granted**

Suddenly it was daylight. This, and the fact that the tombstone had turned incredibly soft, was all Buffy had time to process before a voice spoke beside her, making her jump.

"Okay! Have a good time. I know you're gonna make friends right away -"

"_Mom?_" Buffy gasped.

There Joyce was, beside her. Alive. Buffy stared at her, not believing what she was seeing.

"What is it, honey? Are you all right?" The expression on her face was enough to choke Buffy up.

"I-I …" Buffy looked all around her. She was in her mother's old car, with Joyce in the driver's seat. They were parked outside Sunnydale High. The way it had been when she first started going there, before it had been blown up, rebuilt, and then disintegrated.

_Oh … my …_

Something snapped inside Buffy and she enveloped Joyce in a fierce hug, fighting tears. "I love you Mom."

"I-I love you too, honey," Joyce replied, rather thrown by her daughter's sudden display of affection. "What's all this about?"

Buffy drew back. "I - just - Nerves, I guess."

Joyce smiled. "Don't worry, you'll be just fine." She kissed Buffy on the cheek. "I'll see you later."

Buffy looked down at the car floor and saw her old schoolbag. She picked it up with trembling hands and got out the car. Her mother – her _mother_ – wished her luck and left. Buffy stood, watching her drive away, not wanting her to go.

_What the hell is going on? Have I gone back in time?_

She turned and looked at the mass of students. Several she recognised to be dead. Buffy considered her options. Still in shock, all she could think to do was continue the day as she remembered it. She started forwards, and a boy on a skateboard came whizzing towards her.

"Look out!"

Buffy and the boy collided and they both crashed to the ground. It wasn't until they'd both, laughing, got to their feet and checked for injuries that she realised that Xander had just run into her.

Boy, he looked young.

"Wow," he said, seeing her properly for the first time. "I mean – wow, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to run you down. Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine, thanks." Buffy brushed off her skirt.

"You're new, right? I'm Xander."

Buffy smiled. "I'm Buffy Summers, nice to meet you."

"Oh, and this is – Willow!" Xander called behind her. Buffy turned to see Willow watching them. Xander waved her over.

"Hi, Willow," Buffy said. "Wow, I love your hair."

"Really?"

"Yeah, it's nice and long. I've been growing mine out forever and it's still not past my shoulders."

"Thanks," Willow smiled shyly, touching a hand to her hair. "So, you're new?"

"Yeah, I just moved." Buffy hesitated slightly. "From L.A."

The three of them made their way into the school, Buffy's old – or new – friends firing questions at her, and her answering as best as she could. Once inside, she excused herself with a "Great to meet you guys" and hurried off in search of some privacy.

Alone in the girls' bathroom, Buffy stared at her reflection in the mirrors. The image they showed her was of a sixteen-year-old Buffy Summers, with one difference. She moved closer to see better, and sighed. She might have a young face but there was no mistaking the maturity in her eyes. Buffy leaned against the wall, trying to get her head around what had happened.

She had gone back in time.

Not only that, but she was actually _inside_ her past self. What would happen when she went back?

If she _could_ go back.

If she _wanted_ to go back.

_I fought my feelings for so long … I wish I hadn't. If I could rewrite it all …_

She _could_, Buffy realised with a gasp. She could rewrite everything. The Cleveland Hellmouth had granted her, her wish!

_I can save Mom. I can save Spike. I can save __everyone__!_

Buffy suddenly burst out laughing. It was the first time she had laughed properly since Spike had died, and it hurt her chest for a moment, but now she felt full of hope. Because everyone she had lost was now alive. And as long as she played her cards right, there was no reason why that fact had to change.

_Okay, first things first_, she thought. _I've got to see Principal Flutie_.

Leaving the bathroom, Buffy pondered she ought to keep up the illusion of not knowing where things were, and asked a student she didn't know where she could find Flutie's office. The bell rang, making her jump, and she broke into a run as she passed the library, skidding to a halt as the doors opened and Giles came out.

"Sorry!" she gasped, stopping just short of her second collision that day.

"That's quite all right." Giles looked her up and down, and enquired, "Miss Summers?"

"Uh-huh." She smiled innocently at him. "Principal's office?"

"Oh – just down the corridor. You can't miss it."

"Thanks."

"Er, Miss Summers," he started, "I would like to take this opportunity to, um, welcome you to this school, and, if there are any books you should need -"

"Drop the act, Mr. Giles, I know you're my new Watcher."

He stopped short. "Oh."

"I'm kinda late to see the Principal, but I'd love to discuss impending disasters with you later."

"I … of course," Giles replied, obviously somewhat thrown.

"Great. I'll come and find you." Buffy turned and started hurrying towards Flutie's office.

"How did you know who I was?" Giles called after her.

"Lucky guess."

-----

One excruciating interview later, Buffy, deciding to skip what was left of History since she'd done it already, after all. Instead, she headed to the library, where she found Giles busy sorting books. He looked up as she entered. "Ah, Miss Summers – Buffy?"

"Buffy's fine."

He removed his glasses and began to polish them. "May I enquire as to how you worked out who I was?"

Buffy had prepared her answer to this question. "Please. You're English, you work with books all day, and the way you dress? It's a no-brainer."

"I … well, yes, I suppose …" Giles cleared his throat. "Maybe, then, we could have a talk about, er, the impending disasters you mentioned?"

"Okay then. Fire away."

As he began talking about Sunnydale being rife with odd occurrences that were growing more frequent, Buffy sat on a table and just watched and listened, wondering exactly how much to tell him. Should she mention the Hellmouth, speed things up a little, or just wait until she met Angel and then repeat what he told her?

Angel. Buffy zoned out for a moment. The prospect of seeing him wasn't as confusing as she would have expected. Instead, she found she felt nothing. The thought that, potentially, she could repeat their entire relationship left her cold. With Spike, however--

"Buffy? Are you listening to me?"

"What? – Oh! Yeah, yeah I'm listening. Sorry."

With Spike, it was a lot more complicated. Buffy felt a chill down her spine as she realised that, when she saw him, she would not be looking at the same Spike she had come to know, but the evil bloodsucker he had been when they had first come face to face. It wasn't that she was afraid of him … More, she was afraid of herself. Would she really be able to fight him, while being in love with him?

There were a lot of things she needed to consider, Buffy realised. Time travel was not as simple as it sounded.

_Bet Andrew could have told me that._

"Giles," Buffy said when his speech had come to an end, "you're absolutely right. And you know what? I'm going to need to be prepared for anything. I was thinking maybe I could do a bit of background reading? You've got a lot of mystical books here, right?" She glanced around.

"Yes, I have. I think that's a good idea."

"Got anything on time travel?"

Giles gave her a strange look. "Time travel?"

"It's an area of interest. Thought I'd start with that and go from there."

"Well it's not a common subject, but I'm sure I have a book or two somewhere. Would you like me to look for you now?"

"Yes, please." Buffy paused. "And, Giles …"

"Yes?"

"I also need a History textbook."

**TBC …**


	3. Light Reading

**Chapter Two: Light Reading**

When the bell rang, Buffy made her way to the bench outside where she knew Willow would be, dragging a schoolbag that was so heavy with books she feared it would rip. In addition to her textbook, she was carrying two volumes Giles had found that covered time travel, as well as a familiar-looking spellbook she had packed on a whim, and a particularly heavy book on mystical artefacts that could be very useful later. She hoped the bag wouldn't rip; she would have some explaining to do if the contents fell out in full view.

_I'm gonna turn into a bookworm_, she realised in horror. _Oh well. Hope Giles appreciates it._

"Hi – Willow, right?"

"Hi!" Willow said brightly. "Um, w-would you like to sit here?"

"Sure, thanks," Buffy said, sitting down next to her. "So … tell me more about Sunnydale High?"

This time, as Willow told her things she already knew, she paid attention. _I can't just spend half the next seven years zoning out of conversations. Got to focus._ It was only a minute or so before Xander showed up with a boy in tow that Buffy realised was Jesse.

_He'll be the first_, she decided as the pair laughed and joked with each other. _Jesse is __not__ going to die tonight. I'll stop it. Somehow._

-----

Buffy collapsed onto her bed the minute she got home. She felt exhausted. She also knew she had a busy night ahead of her.

"Okay, Buffy, think," she said out loud. "Can't just wing it tonight. Need plan of action." She put her head in her hands and tried to relive the night as she remembered it. The problem was, seven years was a long time and the details had gone fuzzy.

"I go to the Bronze," she muttered. "That I remember. Was Willow there? Oh, yeah, she was - And Jesse went off with Darla - Of course! Willow went off with a vampire too … So how do I save Jesse without getting Willow killed?"

She looked around her old bedroom as if hoping it held the answers. "This is no use." She kicked her schoolbag in frustration, and let out a yelp of pain as her toe connected with a sharp corner of a book cover. "I have to remember more clearly than this …" She trailed off, inspiration striking, dropped to her knees and pulled out the spellbook.

Of course, she _thought_ she had recognised it. The spell Willow had used on everyone's memories had been in it. Surely if there was one to _remove_ memories … Buffy flicked to the index, and ran her finger down the page, searching for "memory" under M. "Ah-hah!"

She nearly tore the pages turning frantically to the ones listed, and the entry listed after the spell was a potion – one to sharpen the memory.

"Perfect," Buffy whispered. She scanned the ingredients. The magic shop should have them all. It would take only half an hour to make. She scribbled a list down on a spare piece of paper, hunted for and found her purse, and left the house.

The bell above the shop door jingled as she stepped inside. It was darker and dingier than it had been – or rather, would be – when it was Giles' Magic Box. Buffy hesitated, unsure where to start looking – everything was arranged differently.

"Can I help you?"

She jumped, and spotted a man behind the counter. "Oh, hi. Yeah, you can." She pulled the list out of her pocket. "Uh, I need these items. And I'm kinda in a hurry."

He glanced at it. "Well, you're in luck. We have all this here." He looked at her quizzically. "Memory potion, huh?"

"Yeah."

He started taking things off the shelves. "You sure you know what you're doing?"

"Positive. Thanks."

"I only ask because you're young, and that's a powerful potion. You want to be careful with it." The shopkeeper paused. "How much are you making?"

"A lot."

"In that case, you'll want something to carry these things in." He reached behind the counter and brought out a carrier bag. "Just be careful, love; you need a lot less of that stuff than you think, and you can find yourself remembering things you might not have wanted to."

"Thanks. I'll be fine."

Buffy paid for the ingredients, and he wished her good day. As the door closed behind her, she said quietly, "And I'm older than I look."

-----

Buffy re-read the tiny, handwritten print for what seemed like the hundredth time as she added the last ingredient to the third potion attempt bubbling merrily on the stove. Underneath the ingredients list, she noticed, there was a warning: _The potion is strong; only a small amount will suffice. Large quantities can result in damage to the brain_.

"Well, it's not like I'm planning on chugging the stuff down," she muttered. She would just take it sip by sip until it worked and bottle the rest.

When the potion was ready, it turned clear, which Buffy was relieved about – beforehand it had been a murky kind of grey-brown. She poured a single swallow's worth into a glass and downed it in one.

_Okay, first night at the Bronze_, she thought, and gasped. The moment it had crossed her mind she was there, chatting to Willow, looking for Giles; she could even feel the beat of the music. She remembered every detail: what was said, what she wore, even every word the band sang, which she hadn't even been paying attention to at the time.

"Wow," she breathed. "The shop owner was right, that's powerful stuff."

Buffy grabbed a pen and paper and started scribbling down the events of the evening, unsure how long the potion would last. When she finished, she folded the paper and put it in her pocket, filled an empty water bottle with the rest of the potion and washed out the saucepan and glass. As she worked, she noticed how the slightest thought could immerse her into any other memory, even ones she hadn't realised existed. Buffy smiled as she relived a cuddle with her father when she must have been about a year old. The potion really was incredible.

"And going to be _very_ useful," she muttered.

Perhaps the best way to tackle her situation was to sit down, under the potion's effects, and draw up an exact timeline of everything she knew. That would help her work out what she wanted to change, what didn't matter, what she had to be careful about, and what she had to let happen, as well as hopefully help to predict any consequences of what she _did_ change.

It would take a long time, she realised. Right now, she had to focus on stopping the Harvest whilst keeping everyone alive. Buffy thought hard and eventually came up with a plan of action, which she also wrote down. Checking the clock, she realised her mother would probably be home soon, and it was beginning to get dark.

As she made her way upstairs to get changed, Buffy's thoughts turned to Joyce. She was determined to save her mother no matter what. Even if she had to pull Slayer moves on every doctor in the hospital until they agreed to keep her in longer. Much longer. Long enough to be able to act quickly enough to save her.

_There's only so much I can do_, she realised suddenly. _Just knowing it's going to happen doesn't necessarily give me the power I need to stop it_. Buffy shivered and blinked back tears. She couldn't lose Joyce all over again. She just _couldn't_.

But just in case … she would make the most of the next five years. Make more of an effort to spend time with her, Buffy thought. And maybe she should tell her about the Slaying earlier, so it wouldn't be the huge divide between them that it used to be.

Buffy sighed. She would have to think about that later. She changed her clothes, pocketed a stake and three small bottles of holy water, and slid another stake up her sleeve. After a pause, she had a brainwave and pinned up her hair with a wooden cross. Examining it in the mirror, she concluded that it was impossible to tell what it was – no vampire would see it coming, she thought smugly. Shame a stake would be too difficult to disguise. Maybe she could work on that idea another time.

"Hi, hon."

She jumped and looked up. Joyce was standing in the doorway. Buffy had missed hearing her come in. "Mom!"

Joyce laughed as Buffy positively bounded over and hugged her. "You're very excitable today, Buffy." She paused, and looked at her daughter suspiciously. "What's going on?"

"Nothing," Buffy said in what she hoped was an innocent voice. "Can't a girl just be happy to see her mother once in a while?"

"When it's you, it usually means you want an allowance raise."

Buffy mock-pouted. "Not every time." They both laughed.

"So, how was your first day?"

_I aged seven years, and there was a dead guy in the locker_. Instead of saying this out loud, Buffy just replied, "Okay."

"Did you make any new friends?"

"Possibly. I'm gonna see them tonight, at a club."

Joyce raised her eyebrows. "Will there be boys there?"

"Two of them _are_ boys, Mom. And yes. Don't worry, I'll be careful."

She waited for Joyce's next comment, about how she had a good feeling about Sunnydale … but it didn't come. Instead, she was looking at Buffy with a strange expression. "Mom? You okay?"

"Just …" Joyce smiled and shook her head. "It's nothing – I just thought – something's changed."

"What do you mean?"

"You just seem a bit … different," Joyce said slowly.

Buffy shrugged and faked a smile. "Just the same old me. Honest," she said, crossing her fingers behind her back.

Joyce smiled. "If you say so, honey. Well, have fun."

"I will," Buffy murmured.

**TBC …**

AN: I know the memory potion seems to make it too easy … but I have plans. Mwahaha.


	4. Plans of Action

**Chapter Three: Plans of Action  
**  
Buffy's plan was simple, but risky. She was banking on the fact that none of the vampires had ever seen her before and, therefore, would not know she was the Slayer. She ran through it again in her head. She had to keep both Jesse and Willow from being taken, but still make sure that Willow saw the vampires. Xander would have heard her and Giles talking in the library, but if neither of them actually saw vampires for themselves, Buffy might well have a hard time convincing them that they were real.

It was a good plan. Buffy just hoped it would go without a hitch. She may have the knowledge, but Luke was still stronger than she was. Still, she considered optimistically that she was armed better than before and had the element of surprise.

As she made her way to the Bronze, she could hear Angel's echoing footsteps behind her. When she reached an alleyway, she knocked him down and pinned him to the ground as before.

"Is there a problem, ma'am?" he asked.

"Yeah, there's a problem." Buffy paused. She hadn't planned for this moment as much as she had planned the rest of the evening. But it was probably better to get it done now. "You want to help me stop the Hellmouth from opening, you better tell me what you know and quit stalking me."

Angel looked surprised, which made a change. "How did you know?"

Buffy released him. "I know who you are. I also know that you don't kill any more, and why."

"How do you know all of that? Your Watcher -"

"Is not my only source of supernatural information. Look, buddy, let's get one thing straight here. You give me information without the riddles, and you stop following me around. Got it?"

"Got it," Angel assured her. "Can I give you this now?"

Buffy accepted the cross in the jewellery box gracefully, although she was now starting to feel awkward at how hard she had been on him. Before she could think of how to set things right, he took off.

She sighed. She had probably been so hard on him because she was still afraid of how he might make her feel. But like before, there was nothing. She just felt fondness for him as an old friend and annoyance at his following her. At least the message from her heart was still clear.

Buffy put the cross on and continued towards the Bronze. It occurred to her that Angel hadn't actually told her any information at all – maybe she had scared him off. _Oh well. Least I know what he would have said anyway_.

* * *

"It's probably easy for you," Willow said in a wistful tone. She and Buffy had been talking for a couple of minutes, Buffy keeping to her "script" based on what they had said before.

"Oh yeah." Buffy nodded a little forlornly. "Real easy."

"I mean, you don't seem too shy."

Buffy smiled as the conversation reached its turning point. "That's sort of my problem, really. See, I have this unfortunate tendency to get talked into going off with complete strangers. Trust me, it's got me into all kinds of trouble."

"What, like getting mugged?" Willow asked.

"Yeah," Buffy said slowly. "Something like that. Anyway, by all means, chat with a guy here in the club – life is short, you know? Seize the moment - just don't go off with anyone you've just met. Okay? Oh, and if I do, please come after me and kick my ass till I see sense."

Willow laughed. "Okay, it's a deal."

"Look, I'll be back in a minute, okay?"

"Oh, it's okay, you don't have to -"

"I'll be back in a minute," Buffy assured her friend, smiling, and took off towards where she knew Giles would be. "Hey, Giles."

He gave her a quizzical look. "How did you know I was here?"

"I'm psychic," Buffy joked. "Look, Giles, I want to ask a favour, okay?"

"Go on."

"In a couple of minutes, I want you to let Willow know I've gone off with a strange guy. Okay? I'll explain later."

Before Giles could answer, she hurried off in the direction of the vampire who had his eye on Willow, as Jesse and Darla made their way out of the club.

The vampire introduced himself as Thomas, and it took less than half a minute of flirting with him to convince him to take her as an offering to the Master. Buffy played at being the innocent victim, pretending to believe his story of taking her for ice cream and letting him lead her hand-in-hand out of the club and towards the cemetery.

* * *

"Hey, Will," Xander said, sliding into the seat next to her. "You seen Buffy?"

She frowned. "Actually, Xander, I was just wondering where she was myself. She said she was coming back." Willow couldn't help but feel disappointed. Buffy had seemed so nice. "What did you want with her?"

Xander grinned. "You might want to watch it round her, Willow. She's nuts, I tell you. Heard her and Giles talking about all sorts of weird stuff in the library earlier."

"What kind of weird stuff?" Willow asked.

"Oh, hello, Willow." Giles' voice sounded from just behind them and they looked round. The surprise sounded insincere.

"Oh, hi, Giles. What on earth are _you_ doing here?" Xander asked.

Giles decided to ignore the incredulity of Xander's question. "Delivering a message from Buffy. She says she's gone off with a strange guy. I hope that means more to you than it does to me."

"Sure does." Xander whistled. "Buffy's scored on her first night here. Good on her."

Alarmed, Willow shook her head and stood up suddenly. "No, not good. I said I wouldn't let her go off with any strangers."

"Why not?" Xander and Giles asked simultaneously.

"She asked me. Come on, we've got to go after her. Giles, do you know where they went?"

As all three of them fought towards the entrance, it occurred to Willow that maybe this was a test on Buffy's part to see if Willow was good friend material. It was a good idea if it was. Willow was definitely going to pass.

There was no sign of Buffy outside the Bronze, but Cordelia saw them and approached.

"Buffy said to tell you losers she was taking a short-cut to the ice-cream place through the cemetery. Dunno why, 'cause there isn't one …"

* * *

"Jesse!"

Buffy rushed over to him where he stood swaying in the doorway of the mausoleum. "Are you okay?"

Jesse looked at her groggily. "Buffy, right?"

There was blood on his fingers and blood on his throat, but Buffy knew he hadn't been given the full treatment yet – he was going to be presented to the Master. But the wound didn't look too minor.

"Jesse, listen to me. It's gonna be okay. We'll get out of here."

"You're not going anywhere," Darla said, gleefully. "Till we've _fed!_" As she spat out the last word, she thrust her face into Buffy's and it changed to reveal her true form. Buffy did her best to fake a dramatic flinch accompanied by a horror-movie scream. Darla and Thomas laughed just as Buffy heard her name being called from outside.

"Oh, thank goodness," she muttered. There was only so long she could keep up the act.

Giles, Willow and Xander appeared at the entrance, the teens' mouths open at the vampires' faces. Buffy grabbed Jesse and thrust him in Giles' direction as she pulled a stake out. "Get out of here! Now!"

Thomas tried to stop Giles from taking Jesse out of the crypt, but Buffy plunged the stake into his heart.

For a moment, it was just Buffy and Darla facing each other after Giles hurried the other teenagers away. Darla hesitated, but lunged at Buffy without warning. Knowing it was likely coming, Buffy was prepared and met her every blow, staking her just as she heard the door to the tunnels opening.

She counted the milliseconds and then, just before Luke had a chance to grab her from behind, she whirled around to face him and threw a bottle of holy water in his face.

He cried out in pain and stumbled backwards. Buffy took the opportunity to thrust the stake into him. Half-blinded, he had no chance.

Now to save the others.

* * *

The next morning, Buffy, Giles, Willow, Xander and Jesse were all in the library. Giles was talking about how vampires had come about, and the teenagers, save for Buffy, all looked in shock. Jesse had gauze taped over his neck, which he had taken to telling everyone was a bite from his dog.

Buffy had used the rest of the holy water on the other four vampires, the last one needing a jab in the eye from the cross as well, but she had staked them all. No food for the Master.

The problem was, even Luke and the other vampires being dead didn't mean that the Harvest would not happen. When Giles was finished explaining vampires and slayers, Buffy told all of them about Angel. She left out the part where he was a vampire cursed with a soul, but said that she had met an ally with information, and told them what Angel had told her the last time.

"Do you have any idea how to contact this, Angel?" Giles asked.

Buffy nodded. "I think I'll be able to find him okay if we need him."

"Good. With the Harvest, we're going to need all the help we can get." Giles removed his glasses. "I think you four should go to classes. You don't want to get into trouble."

"How are we supposed to concentrate on class when there's vampires out there planning a scary-sounding celebration?" Willow asked.

"I didn't say anything about concentrating in class," Giles corrected her. "Willow, didn't you say you have computer class next?" She nodded. "Could you do some research?"

Buffy slid into thought as Giles and Willow talked. Tonight should be a breeze. Luke was dead, so either the Harvest was stopped anyway or another vampire – one not as strong – would be picked. All she had to do was make sure she got to the Bronze before the vampires and get everyone out before they arrived so nobody died. She knew where she was going now, and wouldn't get grounded tonight over leaving campus, ergo early escape.

As the teenagers left the library, Giles called, "Wait, Buffy, can I have a word?"

She looked round. "Sure."

Giles waited until the other three were completely out of earshot, then said, "Was there a particular reason why you chose to directly endanger three civilians last night?"

Buffy knew she should have seen this coming. "Yes. To save two of them." As Giles frowned, she said, "Look, Giles, something you need to learn about me is that sometimes I make seemingly reckless actions in order to save someone's life. It was a calculated plan and it went perfectly, okay? Just trust me. I have really good instincts."

"Nevertheless -"

"And yeah, I know that now they know my secret, but maybe that's for the better. I'm never gonna make friends here if I have to hide my secret identity from everyone." Buffy paused. "Actually, that's something I want to talk to you about -"

"Buffy! Will you let me get a word in edgeways, please?"

She grinned sheepishly. "Sorry. Go on."

Giles took a deep breath. "I know slayers have good instincts, and I accept that sometimes reckless actions are necessary. _But_, I _am_ your Watcher, so next time please run any calculated risks past me. Is that clear?"

"Crystal," Buffy said.

**TBC …**


	5. Dust and Dreams

**Chapter Four: Dust and Dreams**

After Giles' brief on the Harvest, Buffy hurried home and collected as many weapons as she could and as fast as possible. Her aim was to get to the Bronze before the sun even set, to be sure the vampires were not there yet. She had worn clothes appropriate for kicking ass to school, so she didn't need to change, saving more time. Buffy wrote her mother a quick note and left through her bedroom window just as she heard her mother come in the front door.

She definitely had to have that heart-to-heart with Joyce before too long. Her mother was going to be really irritated with her that she had stayed out all night last night and then sneaked off before she came home. But right now that couldn't be helped.

The sun was setting as the five of them arrived at the Bronze, and Buffy pulled the fire alarm.

"Everyone out – this way!" Giles called loudly, herding people towards a side door. The others ushered everybody in different directions once they were outside, so the vampires would find it harder to follow than a group of them. Once everyone was out, they closed all the doors, turned off the alarm and started the music again so the vampires would think everyone was still inside.

"And now?" Xander asked Buffy.

"Now we wait." Buffy checked the time. "They should be here any minute. Just make sure you guys are out of sight, okay?"

It didn't take long for the vampires to show up. Buffy recognised them as working for the Master, but she knew none of them were particularly strong. The fight was over quickly – all staked, the Vessel with a pool cue. Buffy dusted the ash off her hands and said, "You guys can come out now."

Buffy realised that she had got off lightly this time. The other apocalypses were not going to be half as easy.

-----

Joyce was still up when Buffy arrived home.

"I'm sorry," Buffy said before Joyce could even open her mouth. "I know you're probably annoyed 'cause I stayed out a long time last night. But I came back at a decent time tonight, so please don't be too mad."

Joyce sighed. "I'm not mad, Buffy, just try not to stay out so late on school nights. I don't want to have to impose a curfew."

"You won't have to, Mom. I promise." Buffy wondered whether it was a good time to have their heart-to-heart, but her mother probably wanted to go to bed. "I'm trying my best to turn over a new leaf, and one thing I wanna do is spend more time with my mom."

"Really?" Joyce looked surprised.

"Really." Buffy hugged her. "And I think you'll be pleasantly surprised at the direction my grades will take."

Using memory potion for classes wasn't cheating, exactly. It just ensured Buffy could spend time she would have spent studying doing something more important, like fighting the undead or working on the timeline for the seven years ahead of her. Whilst getting good enough grades to keep her mother happy, and keeping Snyder from kicking her out of school. Not that Snyder was the principal yet. Buffy hoped he would never be this time round.

-----

Buffy had not had a lot of sleep the previous night, running through the last couple of days' events in her mind continuously with no room for anything else. Now, with no impending apocalypses for months, she didn't have to tackle any supernatural occurrences until the cheerleading tryouts. But all thoughts of a restful sleep vanished as, without urgent matters on her mind, Buffy found it drifting towards other things.

Still under the effects of the first sip of memory potion, Buffy could remember every detail of Spike's death, and it wouldn't stop playing in her head. She buried her head in her pillow and allowed herself a few muffled sobs, but wouldn't let herself break down completely. She had to remain in control.

It was hours before Buffy finally drifted into an uneasy sleep, and even then, she dreamed.

_Spike was there, beside her, one arm around her as he gazed into her eyes. Buffy, elated, snuggled into his arms, not believing he was really there … But there he was, as handsome as ever, features intact, blue eyes filled with passion. "I love you," Buffy whispered to him._

His expression changed, his smile fading, and his eyes hardened. "No, you don't," he said in a cold voice. "You never loved me."

To Buffy's horror, his next words spilled from his mouth in her own voice - words she remembered clearly. "I could never love you, Spike … you are dead inside … I will never kiss you, never touch you, never, ever again … And you wonder why I can never love you?"

"Stop it!" Buffy cried, clapping her hands over her ears. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean it -"

"Oh, you meant it," Spike replied, his own cold voice back. "You meant it so fiercely you did _this__ to me." His face changed, the area around one eye blackening, bruises sprouting, cuts opening and blood trickling down his face._

"I'm sorry!" Buffy gasped, jerking awake. For a moment, she just thought he had disappeared, before she realised it had just been a dream. A dream turned nightmare.

For several minutes Buffy sat up in bed shivering, the image from the dream all too real, before throwing back the covers and heading towards the bathroom, where she splashed cold water on her face and tried to calm down.

Just because Spike was, technically, alive – well, vampire alive – in this time didn't make the pain of his passing any less. And now, Buffy thought she was probably suffering a backlog of guilt over how she had treated him. She dried her face and returned to her room. There was no way she was going to get any decent sleep tonight. Desperate for something to take her mind off Spike, she pulled out a pad of paper, a pen, and focused on remembering the months before she had met Spike.

Beginning with the cheerleading tryouts in a fortnight, Buffy drafted a timeline of the next six months, noting every important date and time. It was nearly half past five when her bedroom door creaked open, and she looked up to see her mother standing in the doorway in her dressing gown.

"Buffy, what on earth are you doing? Do you know what time it is?"

"I'm sorry, Mom, I didn't mean to wake you."

"You didn't. Next-door's cat jumped at my bedroom window again." Joyce entered Buffy's bedroom and sat down on the end of her bed. "Honey, what are you doing at this hour?"

"Homework," Buffy lied, quickly gathering her papers up before her mother could see them. "I couldn't sleep."

"It's a school day," Joyce reminded her in a gentle tone. "I'm glad you're doing your homework, but don't you think it's time you put it away and got some sleep?"

"Can't."

"I'll go and make us both some hot chocolate. I don't think I'll be getting back to sleep tonight either. Why don't we see what's on late-night TV?" Joyce said, standing up to leave the room, but Buffy stopped her.

"Actually, Mom, can we talk? There's some stuff I'd like to talk about with you."

Joyce nodded. "All right, I'll bring the hot chocolate up here then." She kissed Buffy and said, "Back in a minute."

**TBC …**


	6. Piece of Cake

**Chapter Five: Piece of Cake  
**  
"Buffy, wake up!" Willow elbowed her in the ribs.

"Huh?" Buffy jerked awake. "What – Oh."

The entire History class was staring at her.

"Miss Summers, would you care to answer the question?" the teacher said.  
Buffy gulped. She hadn't heard the question and couldn't even remember what the topic was. Either her brain had not woken up properly yet, or the memory potion had now worn off. "Er … World War II?"

Sniggers ran through the class and the teacher gave her a sharp look. "We were discussing the Civil Rights Movement, Miss Summers. Please try to pay attention."

"At least it's my first week," Buffy said as they left the classroom. "She'll probably let me off this once."

"Why are you so tired anyway?" Xander asked. "Were you … you know … _busy_ last night, doing … _stuff?_"

Buffy raised her eyebrows at him. "Really subtle, Xander. You mean slaying vampires?"

"Yeah," he said, "only without the risk of being overheard."

"I have been a slayer for a long time. I know how to cover my tracks, okay?" Buffy sat down by the fountain. "And in answer to your original question, my mom and I had some bonding time down at the cemetery."

Her friends stared at her. "What do you mean?" Jesse said. "Your mom knows you're the Slayer?"

"Well, she does now. I told her last night – well, this morning - as gently as I could. 'Course, she thought I was nuts, so I took her out on a field trip to see me in action. She hasn't said a lot since. Think she's still taking it in."

"Oh," Willow said. "Are slayers' parents _supposed_ to know about this stuff?"

"She was gonna find out at some point." Buffy shrugged. "Might as well be sooner rather than later."

"Why now, though?" Xander asked. "What's the occasion?"

"Slaying involves doing certain things," Buffy said. "Cutting classes, starting fights, trespassing; the kind of thing that if kept up for long enough gets a girl thrown out of school or even arrested. The point is, to anyone who doesn't know who I am, it just looks like I'm a violent delinquent and that's really not how I want my mom to see me. I'm fed up with there being such a divide between us. At least now she knows there's a good reason for it, even if she doesn't like it."

* * *

"I don't like it." Giles neither looked nor sounded at all happy with Buffy. "Why on earth did you not consult with me before telling your mother you are the Slayer?"

"Because," Buffy said calmly, "I knew you wouldn't like it and I'd made up my mind. Up 'till now my mom and I have been distant because of the slaying. Now she knows there's a good reason why I keep getting kicked out of school and arrested. Come on, Giles, this can only be a good thing. Imagine the impact on my slaying if I get grounded every time I stay out later than midnight."

"That is not the point and you know it. How on _earth_ did you convince her that you were telling the truth?"

"I showed her."

Giles frowned at Buffy. "What do you mean?"

"I mean, I took her to the cemetery and we waited 'till a vamp burst free of its grave, and then I staked it."

"You put your mother in danger?"

"She was perfectly safe! I got the guy before he had even finished clawing himself out, okay? And Mom was hiding behind a tombstone. He wouldn't have seen her even if he did get out."

"Buffy -"

"Look, Giles, she's my _mother_, okay? I wouldn't have taken her if I wasn't sure I could keep her safe."

"Nevertheless, you cannot keep taking risks like this. _At least _not without clearing it with me first! I am starting to feel as if when I speak to you I am speaking to a brick wall."

"Don't worry, Giles." Buffy put a hand on his arm. "I do take it in. Don't get me wrong. But I'm not one of those slayers who is all about the physical and lets the Watcher plan everything. I prefer to use my own brain when I feel the time is right."

* * *

By lunchtime, Buffy was positive that the memory potion had worn off completely and took a second sip of the bottle she had stashed in her bag. Not that she needed it for any important slayer stuff yet, but she didn't want to flunk her classes. Making a mental note to get as much homework done before the cheerleading tryouts as possible, Buffy was able to relax slightly and chat to her friends about her life back in L.A. When lessons began again, however, she found her mind wandering back to Spike.

She had managed to get better control over the effects of the potion, and managed to steer the memories away from the more painful ones. The thing was, most of them were painful in hindsight. Even her favourite memory, when Willow's spell had made Spike propose, was bittersweet. Buffy considered that at least she had that time to look forward to. Just those few hours with Spike loving her, even if they would be under a spell.

Until then, she had to sit tight and try not to miss him too much. It wasn't as if she had nothing to do – there were plenty of distractions between now and then.

Over the next week, Buffy spent the majority of her spare time completing the next months' worth of homework, combing the books she had borrowed from Giles, and she also tracked down an old acquaintance.

"Hey."

Marcie, drinking from the water fountain, nearly choked and straightened up to stare at Buffy. "Are y-you talking to me?"

"Yeah, hi, I'm Buffy Summers. I'm new here. Just thought I'd come and, you know, introduce myself."

"I'm Marcie Ross," she replied, sounding hesitant. "Did you want me to go?"

"What? Oh, no. I just didn't really see you with anyone, so I thought you might like a friend." Buffy smiled warmly.

"Oh." Marcie considered. "Thanks, I guess. Um, you want to go and get lunch?"

"Sure."

That was the invisible girl thing sorted. All Marcie needed was some attention, and she wouldn't disappear and go loony.

_Piece of cake_, Buffy thought, as the two of them chatted over lunch. Marcie was quiet at first, but once she got talking, she seemed a very interesting person. Buffy gently discouraged her desire to be one of the in-crowd – "Who wants to be like everybody else?" – and tried to boost her self-esteem by saying that she had heard her play her flute and that she was very good at it. She came away from lunch with the satisfaction of having helped a human being not become a psycho, and with the bonus of a new friend.

* * *

Joyce had said little since Buffy had shown her how she killed vampires, and Buffy wanted to give her time to take it in. She even gave her the library phone number, so she could consult with Giles any time she felt the need for another adult to assure her she was not as crazy as her daughter, and to ask him any questions. At least Joyce was satisfied with how well Buffy was doing at school – she had so far avoided any trouble and was getting top marks on her homework. Also, most of the time Joyce came into her daughter's room, Buffy was reading.

Of course, she was mainly reading supernatural texts borrowed from Giles, and occasionally a title she had bought off the internet called _Cantonese for Beginners_ that came with a cassette. But her mother didn't need to know that.

Before she had even finished unpacking her things from the move, Buffy decided she needed a clear-out. If she was going to need money for ingredients for the memory potion, and anything else that might come in useful, she needed to spend less of her allowance on the more frivolous things, and that was the best way to start. She sold and replaced most of her wardrobe with cheap (yet stylish) items and put the money aside for later.

Something she was beginning to consider was delving a little deeper into spells and potions. After all, the timeline could end up changing vastly and she wasn't entirely sure exactly what she would need or if Willow would be available. Although she didn't want to step on her friend's toes, an extra witch in the gang could only help, right? And besides, Willow would still – eventually – be the powerful one. In fact, the others might not even need to know if Buffy practised witchcraft.

Well, they would probably find out at some point. Just like they would probably find out that she had lived this life once before. But that hopefully wouldn't happen for a long time.

Buffy sighed. It occurred to her that, by not being honest with her friends, she was feeling incredibly lonely. How, she wondered, could she stand seven years of this? And she also missed her sister.

She knew she shouldn't be surprised that Dawn currently didn't exist. Her early memories of her had been false, after all. But she couldn't help but wish that Dawn was here, now – it felt strange without her. Four years was far too long to wait to see her little sister again.

* * *

The tryouts arrived. Buffy had decided it was best if she _didn't_ try out, but took an interest anyway.

"Why don't you try out, Buffy?" Willow asked one lunchtime. "I think you'd be good at it."

"No. I mean, I've done it before. But that was before I became the Slayer and I've kind of matured since then. Besides, I know exactly what Giles would say." Buffy put on a fake English accent. "'You were chosen to destroy vampires, not to wave pom-poms at people.'"

Willow giggled.

"It's not like I don't have any hobbies, anyway." They were all just Slayer-orientated. Except teaching herself Cantonese.

**TBC …**


	7. Jinxed

**AN:** I think most people got the Cantonese reference, but for those who didn't, Buffy's just thinking about some communication issues that surfaced in a couple of series seven episodes with the Chinese potential slayer. Anyone remember those horrible flashcards of Giles'?  
This chapter hasn't been beta'd yet, and action isn't my strong suit, so please cut me some slack if the she-mantis scene isn't particularly great.  
The pace is speeding up somewhat now. I'm covering two episodes in this one chapter. It was necessary to go slowly for the first couple of episodes, but now I can go fairly quickly till the next vital-to-the-overall-plot one. I shouldn't think series one will last too many more chapters overall. Series two, obviously, will be more detailed as Spike appears …

* * *

**Chapter Six: Jinxed**

Joyce looked up as her daughter entered the kitchen. "Oh, hi, honey." She brushed flour off of her hands. "Good day at school?"

Buffy shrugged. "Had worse."

"Do you have any homework?"

"Not really."

"Well," Joyce said, running her hands under the tap, "maybe we could have a little mother-daughter chat?"

Buffy knew exactly what she was talking about. "Yeah, okay."

They settled down in the living-room. The smell of baking muffins crept through the doorway from the oven and Buffy breathed in deeply, trying to relax a bit.

"So," Joyce said, nervousness apparent in her voice. "Did you slay any vampires today?"

"No. They don't tend to come out during the day, Mom. They can't survive in sunlight."

"Right, of course." There was a pause. "I don't know, Buffy, all this is just so much to take in. Even after seeing what you did the other day – I can't help but still feel this is all a bizarre dream."

"It'll feel more real," Buffy said. "It'll just take some time."

"Maybe it would feel more real if I were to see more of what you do, instead of relying on that one night to convince me. But you said it's been pretty quiet since then."

"Well, if it helps, there was a case of spontaneous combustion in the cheerleading tryouts today." Buffy tried speaking in a cheerful voice to lighten the mood.

"Goodness! Was she all right?"

"Yeah, I got to her in time. It's just a witch trying to get rid of the competition, no biggie. We're on it."

Joyce stared at Buffy in amazement. "Vampires … witches … it's no wonder everything feels so surreal right now."

"Well," Buffy said slowly, "maybe one night you could come with me. When it's nothing too big," she added quickly. "I wouldn't want to put you in danger."

Joyce smiled. "I'd like that, honey. It seems like I'm going to have to accept all this, so …"

"I know you'd rather I gave it up, Mom. But I can't, it's part of who I am; and I've got a responsibility."

"In that case, I want to share in it with you."

Buffy pulled her mother into a tight hug. "That's what I want too."

* * *

"I'm telling you guys, Amy's the witch. You don't need to do that test-thing. All it'll do is put her onto us."

The others looked at each other. "Well, how would you suggest knowing for sure?" Willow asked.

"I already know for sure."

"How?" said Xander, frowning.

"Call it Slayer-sense, guys. Giles? Little help?"

Her Watcher slowly removed his glasses and began polishing them. "Is this going to be one of the moments you predicted where you say 'Trust my instincts' and even if we don't you will go ahead with your plan anyway?"

"I think," Buffy said, "you just about summed it up."

Giles sighed. "So, what's the plan of action?"

"I think we should have a word with Amy's mother," she said.

It wouldn't be long, Buffy thought, before Giles started getting suspicious about her "instincts". Maybe she had better think up some kind of cover story.

A few hours, one trip to Amy's house, and one spell later, Buffy returned home satisfied, one more evil dealt with. "Mom," she called. "Can we make some brownies?"

* * *

Buffy had to admit, things were going well. No hiccups so far. She'd even made two new friends; Marcie, whom she was meeting up with a couple of times a week, and Jesse. Jesse, although he had not breathed a word of his little adventure to anyone outside the gang, was sadly refusing to be a part of it, and Buffy couldn't blame him. Still, he and Xander were still friends and he hung out with them sometimes when the conversation was nearly normal. And at least he was alive. So far so good.

But she shouldn't get cocky. These were the easy days. Knowledge may be power, but she needed more than that to get everyone through these years in one piece. The last thing she wanted to do was jinx things by thinking too positive.

Still, there was something else to be said about the life she was living at the present time. She was sixteen again and, despite regular Hellmouth activities, Buffy was surprised at the amount of free time she found she had. Free time that she obviously had not appreciated before. True, a fair amount of it was due to being able to complete homework five times faster under the memory potion, but it was still far more than she would have thought. Buffy used most of it to work on her timeline, but knew she needed the odd break too.

The previous night had been another rough one, with more nightmares involving Spike, sometimes bloody and sometimes charred. Buffy had woken with a determination for some time out.

"Come on, Xander, it'll be fun," Willow wheedled.

"Ice skating?" Xander raised an eyebrow. "How is twirling round a frozen indoor pool fun?"

Buffy grinned. "You can make fun of everyone that slips over."

Xander considered. "Okay. But for the record I want it known that I am doing this under extreme duress."

"He just can't skate," Willow whispered in Buffy's ear.

"Don't worry Xander, I'll help you along. I've been skating for years." Buffy spotted someone and stood up. "Hey, Marcie!"

She turned. "Oh, hi, Buffy."

"We're all going ice-skating after school, want to come?"

Marcie looked at Willow and Xander. "Sure, okay. I'd love to."

Jesse also met up with them at the ice rink. Buffy couldn't believe the last time she had skated was when she was still with Angel. It seemed a long time ago, and yet it still felt easy; as if being on the ice was natural to her. She shut off her thoughts about her first 'life', and all the emotional baggage that came with it. Today she was just going to enjoy herself.

* * *

"Dr. Gregory?"

The science teacher looked up at her from polishing his glasses. "Ah, Buffy. Very good work today."

"Thank you."

"Make sure you keep it up. I gather you had a few problems at your last school? Principal Flutie showed me your permanent record."

"Yeah, I did," Buffy said. "But I'm turning over a new leaf now. So to speak."

"It certainly shows in your work. You have a first rate mind and you can think on your feet. Keep it up, and think what you could accomplish. Let's make them eat that permanent record."

Buffy smiled, feeling a warm glow at the memory of their first conversation when he had said more or less the same thing. "Thanks, sir. Definitely."

"I'm sorry, was there something you wanted to say to me?" Dr. Gregory replaced his glasses and fixed her with a stare.

"Er …" Buffy quickly wracked her brains. The many excuses she had thought up earlier seemed to have gone from her head. "This week's homework. Do you think you could go over it again with me? Now?"

"You seemed comfortable with it during the lesson."

"I know, I'm just not sure on the second part. I'd rather go through it with you now than get home and find I've forgotten the stuff I need to know." She tried a persuasive smile.

Dr. Gregory nodded. "All right. Get the homework out and we'll look at it now."

While he talked to her about the homework, Buffy subtly checked her pockets. Recording of bat sonar – check. It would have been too conspicuous bringing an axe to class, so she planned to improvise using objects in the room. No problem – she had successfully worked with less. It was just a question of making sure Dr. Gregory stayed out of harm's way.

Although Buffy could have easily recited the textbook backwards under the memory potion, Buffy faked difficulty with the subject as best she thought she could get away with. Perhaps she over-did it; Dr. Gregory was patient with her and repeated what he had already said countless times, until without warning he suddenly jumped to his feet. "Miss Summers!"

"Sorry?" Buffy asked.

He now looked very awkward. "You – touched my leg."

Buffy blinked. She had only been trying to stretch her legs a bit; they were getting cramp. Obviously it wasn't just the desk leg she had brushed, as she had thought. "Oh. Sorry."

"I think I see what is going on here." Dr. Gregory folded his arms and fixed her with a glare that still looked awkward.

"Huh?"

"Miss Summers, you are a very capable student, as I said to you before. You _do_ understand the homework, and there is no need for this – dalliance – to improve your grade."

Buffy's mouth fell open. "_What?_"

"Please leave, Miss Summers. If you try anything else I will be going straight to the Principal."

"Whoa, Dr. Gregory." Buffy stood, throwing her hands up in surrender. "You've got it _way_ wrong -" She broke off. "Did you hear that?"

"I must insist you leave, Miss Summers," Dr. Gregory repeated.

"Shh," Buffy said, moving behind the door and pulling out the tape recorder. "Sit down, pretend you're working."

Dr. Gregory glared at her, eyes flickering to the recorder. "If you think you can blackmail me -"

"Shut up!" Buffy whispered. "I'm trying to save your life here!"

He blanched, looking more than taken aback, but kept silent and slowly sat back down.

Another noise came from outside. Buffy motioned for Dr. Gregory to look back down at his work instead of at her, and he did so, albeit with a bewildered expression.

The door swung open silently. A perfectly manicured hand held it ajar for a moment and Buffy hesitated, unsure if it was the she-mantis or just another member of staff working late, but the body of Ms French followed. She had already started to morph back into insect form as Buffy clicked 'Play'.

Dr. Gregory almost jumped out of his skin, diving under the desk with a yell as he saw the mantis. The giant bug itself went crazy, and Buffy seized a pen from the desk and jabbed it through the neck. The mantis thrashed out, knocking the recorder from Buffy's hand, and it fell to the floor with a crack. The sound stopped.

The next item Buffy grabbed was the skeleton. Wrenching off the arm, she whacked the mantis around the head and pushed a desk into it. The bookcase was pushed onto it next, but all only slowed the mantis down. An idea spurring, Buffy ran to the cupboard and retrieved a bottle of hydrochloric acid.

_Crap_, she thought, as all the acid seemed to do when thrown on the bug was hurt its eyes. _'Course, it's diluted._ Buffy looked around for a better idea, and her eyes fell on the cupboard again.

There were eggs already in the bottom.

Buffy left the mantis struggling to its feet, broke off a chair leg and advanced towards the eggs with it raised. She heard the mantis follow her, and held the cupboard door with one hand, ready. As the mantis lunged, she slammed the door shut – severing its neck.

"Ick." Buffy stepped over the now still headless body. "See how you like it."

She turned back to her teacher, who was still cowering under the desk, wide-eyed and mouth hanging open.

"Uh, you can come out now."

Dr. Gregory slowly crawled out and stood up. "Good heavens," he exclaimed as his eyes fell on the full scene."

Buffy nodded. "Yeah. Sorry 'bout the mess."

"I apologise," Dr. Gregory said in a faint voice. "I misjudged you."

"You're not the first." Buffy poked the body with her foot. "What made you think I was -"

"You would not be the first," Dr. Gregory answered.

"I wouldn't, though," Buffy replied. "Besides, you're -" She stopped herself from saying 'too old'. Not only would it sound rude, it was also technically untrue, as Spike was much older. "Not my type."

Dr. Gregory continued to stare at the preying mantis. "I think this explains a lot about your record." He made a poor attempt at a laugh. "What exactly _is_ this – thing?"

"Come on, Doc, I'd have thought you would recognise a preying mantis when you see one."

* * *

"Mom, you couldn't give Giles a call while I'm in the shower, could you?" Buffy called down the stairs.

"Is everything all right, honey? Not an emergency, is it?"

"Nah, I just thought he might like to know about the preying mantis I got rid of."

"Preying mantis?"

"Giant shape-shifting one."

As she washed she-mantis goo out of her hair, Buffy suddenly realised the song she was humming was the one Spike had sung to her during Sunnydale's musical days, courtesy of Xander and Sweet. This time round, she vowed, he would sing something much happier. That was, if she let the spell be cast in the first place. _Hmm …_

As she tried to start again from the beginning, the words faded from her memory and she found the tune was barely lingering. The potion was wearing off again.

After drying and getting dressed, Buffy fished out the bottle containing the memory potion and poured a swallow's worth into a glass as before. She had barely gulped it down before the room started spinning, and she crumpled to the floor as blackness took her.

**TBC …**


End file.
